What they do all day?
Anesthesiologists are the doctors who make sure you're blissfully unaware that you're about to go under the knife. They administer the anesthetic, monitor the patient during surgery and advise on any post-procedure reactions. The job requires four years of residency -- in addition to med school -- but the median salary is $286,000.
--J.A.

Quality of life ratings:

Personal satisfaction

Low stress

Benefit to society

Flexibility

A

D

A

C

Published: October 29, 2012

Notes: All pay data from PayScale.com. Median pay is for an experienced worker (at least five or seven years in the field). Top pay represents the 90th percentile. Job growth is estimated for 2010-20, and based on people working in broader 'job family' from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
*Total jobs is estimated number of people working in broader BLS 'job family.'

Sources:PayScale.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNNMoney research

It's still a tough job market out there, so when CNNMoney and PayScale.com set out to find America's Best Jobs this year, first and foremost we looked for professions that offer great growth opportunities.
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